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(Mmm) R. T. TRIPLBTT.

PROESSOF MANUFACTURING GELLULOID CLOCK GASES. No. 255,355. Patented Mar. 21,1882.

UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

REUBEN T. TRIPLITT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

PROCAESS OF MANUFACTURING C-ELLULOID CLOCK-CASES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 255,355, dated March 2l, 188?,

Application filed Sept(\nibt1'7,1SS1. (No specimens.) y

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, REUBEN T. TuTPLET'r, of New York ety, county and State of New York, have invented an Improved Process for Manufacturing Celluloid Glock-Cases, of which the following is a specication.

My invention may be briey stated'to coz:- sist in the manufacture of clock-cases from solidified collodion or celluloid in one or more pieces, suitably molded or pressed, and formed either entirely of collodion or celluloid, or of an external enveloping-sheath of the same, pressed or molded upon an internal concealed core or skeleton of metallic or non-metallic material, whereby clock-eases of great beauty, permanence, and comparative eheapness are produced, forming a new article ot' manufacture having many distinguishing and valuable qualities for the described purpose, as hereinafter set forth.

Figurel ofthe annexed drawings represents a face view or front elevation, and Fig. 2 a diametrical section, of one weltknown form of clock-case constructed according to my invention. Figs. 3 and 4t represent respectively a diametrical section of the molds for forming the two parts of the case.

In these drawings I have illustrated a simpleform of clockcase adapted for marine movements; but itis obvious that the same system may be applied to any of the usual forms of case, whether for pendulum or marine move ments, without appreciable change.

In Figs. l and 2,a indicates the back portion ofthe ease, or ease proper, which is adapted to hang against the wall, and is of an ordinary box shape to inclose the movement, being usually octagonal; butit may be round,square, or of other form. The front of this box. is covered by the dial b, and the back by the back board, c, the outer face of which is adapted to rest against the wall, while the movement is aixed to the inner face within the case, and this back board is preferably made attaehable to and removable from the back of the case a, so that the movement is thus insertible or removable from the back of the case when desired.

d indicates the frontpart of the case, which has the form of a circular ring nicely molded and finished on its visible face, and incloses l the transparent glass iront a, which overles ring d, between outer and inner metal rings of, in the usual manner, as illustrated. This ring d, with its glass, is hinged on its under side, near the margin, to the margiualfrout of the case a in the ordinary manner, whereby it may be swung out to give access to the dial for setting the hands or winding the movement in the usual manner, as will be understood, and a suitable hook or catch is of course provided to hold this lid or door d closed when shut against the dial.

According to my improvement I construct the case a of an internal core or skeleton, a", of wood or of cast or sheet metal, or of some cheap and inertplastie material-such as plaster-otparis or hydraulic cement-and I envelope or cover the same with an external layer or sheath,a",ot'celluloidorsomeformofsoliditied collodion, now generally termed celluloid This sheath a, preferably covers only the middle portions or sides of the case a., and does not extend upon the back, as shown. The front "l is formed in asimilar manner of an internal core, el', ofthe kind mentioned, and 2n external sheath, d, ot'eelluloid. This sheath preferably covers the entire core 6V',- but it may extend only around the visible front and side surfaces, the back being left uncovered, it' desired. The surface of the cores a d may be indented with grooves or depressions at certain points, as shown, to give the sheath more adhesion to the core, if required.

The dial 'f may be made of any of the usual materials, but is preferably made of a plate of white celluloid united-with the sheath ofof the core a in the act of molding the same; or, if the sheath be itself white, this dial may be be understood. As the sheath or external covering' of the core will, however, be usually made of some dark or bright color distinct from the usual white of the dial, the latter will be preferably made and applied as before stated, and illustrated in the drawings.

The case, or rather its celluloid sheath, may be applied or molded as illustrated in Fig. 3.

g 71 indicate two sections of a mold, the section g having a cavity formed to produce the external shape of the desired case, while the molded homogeneous with the sheath, as will x the dial b, and is held in place iu this frameother section, lt, is formed with a plunger to enter and closely t thc interior of the core a and to approach thc bottom of the cavity in the section g. The cavity ofthe section g isof course somewhat larger all around than the exterior of the core a', forming-.r narrow annular space between thc two to admit the plastic celluloid to form the sheath or coating of the core and the bottom of the core, and the plunger does not reach to the bottom of the cavity, so as to leave space for thecelluloid to flow to form the front edges of the case and the dial thereof, as `will be understood from Fig. The dial bis,howevcr, preferably formed separately of a white plate of celluloid, and placed in the bottom of the cavity in the section'g, the cen- Atral hole in the dial fitting over a central pin,

o,in the mold, which thus holds the dial-plate in true position. The edge of the dial-plate is preferably turned over and lies coincident with a groove in the bottom of the mold, so that when thc plastic celluloid is forced into the cavity ofthe mold it will flow around the edge ofthe dial and unite orinterlock therewith, and form an ornamental raised bead around the edge of thc dial, as will be understood. rllhe two sections of the mold are accurately registered with each other by dowels or registeringpins, and are held forcibly against each other by a powerful clamp of suitable construction, and through one section ofthe mold a d uct or passage, t', extends outward from the moldingcavity. This duct is coupled nith the nozzle or mouth of the vforcing-cylinder in which the hot and plastic celluloid is held, and the mold being now heated,the1,)iston of this cylinder is set in motion, and the hot plastic celluloid is therefore forced under great pressure into the hot mold, into which the plastic material will now ow and form itself accurately around the core c and around the edges ot the dialplate b, and assume the form and finish corresponding to the cavity of the mold, as will be readily understood.

Air-vents are provided at necessary points in the mold to allow Jthe air to escape and the celluloid to ow properly to all points of the mold, and after the mold is fully charged the motion of the piston is stopped, and when the charge is sufiieiently set the moldl is disconnected from thc cylinder and opened, and the core, with its sheath of celluloid and its attached dial, is then removed. The protuberance of celluloid which will now exist on one side of the case corresponding to the ductt' can be partly cut off, and the remainder bored and finished to act asa suspending-eye, whereby the case maybe hung on the wall. The rest of the case will have little or no ns or protuberances to be removed, and will hence be finished when removed from the mold, eX- cept that in some cases a polishing may be desirable to give the molded surface a higher finish.

rlhe front d of the case is formed in substantially the. same manner as just described,

and as illustrated in Fig. 4. The mold for this part consists of a bottom section, 7c, and top section, 1., properly registered and clamped to each other, as before described, and having a forming-cavity corresponding to the external shape of the ring d, and a. duct, m., to convey the plastic celluloid thereto, in substantially the same way as 'already described in connection with Fig. 3. The core d. ispreferably placed central in the molding-cavity, so that the celluloid will flow all around and envelop the same, and the core may be thus held in position by slender tightiitting screws lr i', which may be readily unscrewed after the mold has been charged, and before the casting or molding` is removed, as will be readily understood.

From the foregoing descriptions and illustrations experts in the working of celluloid and similar plastic materials and experts in the manufacture of clock cases will readily understand that any other forms of clockcases beside that shown may be formed in substantially the same manner without requiring any further specitication here. It will be readily understood, however, as before indicated, that the seve al parts ofthe case may be made entirely of celluloid, without the internal cores, c d', the molds being' formed to correspond to this construction and to provide sufficient thickness ot' celluloid in the casting, so as to give the case suliicientstrength and stiffness without an internal core or skeleton. The use of thecore will be in most cases preferable, however, as it will render theconstruction cheaper, require less celluloid, and impart greater strength, and if the core be made ot' inert plastic material, such as before mentioned, or of thin sheet metal, little or no difficulty will be experienced by expansion or contraction of the core relatively to its celluloid sheath. A thin metallic core, particular ly it' cast, will render the construction vcry strong, light, and cheap, and when coated with the celluloid will 'form a clock-case of veiy advantageous quality.

lhe celluloid of which the clock-ease is formed, or with which it is coated, as `just described, may be made in any tint or color, either dull or brilliant and either plain or mottled, and may be made to perfectly imitate ormolu or marble, malachite, pearl, or ivory, or other precious and beautiful mineralor animal substances employed for cases in the richest class of clocks. `blot only, therefore, will the celluloid clock-case rival the natural materials named in beauty of appearancewhich is of course an essential requisite in a clock-caseand also be capable of production at a very cheap rate, but it will far exceed these materials in all other qualities that a good clockcase should possess. Thus, in being perfectly water-proof, impervious, and non-absorbent,r

manently soiled or stained by anyexternal delement, as would be the case with the natural materials. Furthermore, it will possess great lightness and strength, and being of a exble nature and homogeueous,or nearly so, it will effectively resist all jars or shocks that would readily injure other materials. It will thus not only rival the ornamental materials named. in beauty, but will also rival even iron and glass in permanence. Iron and glass are the cheapest and most permanent materialsheretofore employed in clock-cases, but iron has the defect ot'- rust and incapacity of any high finish or imitation of natural ornamental materials, and glass is also incapable ot' very artistic finish without great expense, and is not capable of much scope in imitation -ot' ornamental materials, as its vitreous crysforming theI dial separately from a plate of celluloid, then placing this dial in a mold. with a space in said mold beyond or around the edges of said dial, and corresponding to the walls of the clock-case, and finally tilting said molding-spacewith celluloid, so as to form the sides or walls of the case and unite with the said dial-plate at the same time, substantially as herein shown and described.

2. As a new article of manufact-ure, a clockcase formed of celluloid, as herein set forth.

3. A clock-case formed ot" an internal core or skeleton ot' suitable material and an eX- ternal sheath or layer of celluloid, substantially as herein set forth.

4.. A clock-case formed of celluloid, with a dial-plate made separately therefrom, but united with the casein the act of molding the same, substantially as herein set forth.

5. A clock-case formed of aninternal metal lic core or skeleton and an external layer or sheath of celluloid, substantially as herein specified.

REUBEN T. TRIPLEPT.

Witnesses:

GHAs. M. HIGGINS, JN0. E. GAVIN. 

